Ogonek’s ‘All These Lighted Things’ is about ‘orchestra as community’

Days before the world premiere of All These Lighted Things, Elizabeth Ogonek, CSO Mead composer-in-residence, sat down to discuss the work and her inspirations.

“The piece has to do with shedding light … it’s a set of dances [with] a sense of overwhelming happiness and joy that pervades the piece,” she said. “It’s about the orchestra as community.”

In his review of the concert, Chicago Tribune critic John von Rhein wrote: “Ogonek works painstakingly at her craft, and it shows in the acutely wrought instrumental detail that pervades her 15-minute opus. … Muti led a reading that sounded faithful to the letter of the score as well as to Ogonek’s expressive purposes.”

After its performances at Symphony Center, All These Light Things will be heard on the CSO’s fall tour, led by Music Director Riccardo Muti.

This season's MusicNOW series closes with the world premiere of In Silence, written by Mead Composer-in Residence Elizabeth Ogonek. Scored for solo violin with six strings, percussion and piano, In Sil...